Oatmeal with mango and pecans

I’ve never been a breakfast person, but since everyone around me is, I cook breakfast. My kids ate either Cream of Wheat or homemade oatmeal when they were little, usually with apples, cinnamon, milk, and maple syrup.

They’re all grown up now, but I still make this for my boyfriend, when there’s no milk for cereal. Don’t balk at the salt — it really balances the sweetness of the oatmeal.

Add the water, oats, sugar, salt, and cardamom to a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.

While the pan is coming to a boil, bring a cast-iron skillet to high heat. Toss in the nuts and stir around for half-a-minute to lightly toast. Immediately dump the nuts onto a cutting board, cool for a minute, and then chop.

As soon as the oats are boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, add the fruit and half of the toasted nuts, and simmer uncovered for ten minutes, or until the oatmeal is thickened.

Ladle the cooked oats into bowls and top with the rest of the toasted nuts, a drizzle of maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and an optional glug of milk, if you happen to have it.